Welsh Rugby Summer Rants

Whats happened?  Well between yet more ill health, planning a move to London (next couple of weeks now) and getting fed up with the rubbish the Western Mail has been putting out I haven’t really been in the mood to blog.  But the rugby season is just a few days from kick off so it’s time to stretch my fingers and get back into it.

Western Mail watch will definitely be starting properly, God only knows they’re giving me plenty of ammunition at the moment – the standards are slipping yet again.  I am actually starting to question whether they do any reporting at all or if they just hang around forums like Rugby Rebels, Gwlad or ScumV hoping someone will post a rumour about Gavin Henson.

The season is set to go and so am I.  Unfortunately my London move will limit the amount of Ospreys games I can get to, but it will also mean I can get across to London Welsh on a regular basis, and there are some exciting things happening there with the new takeover.  They’ve gone from being poor to minted in one swift bound!

The Summer

So what have I missed commenting on this summer?

Dean Richards, Harlequins and Bloodgate.

OK it’s English rugby based but it’s also been the topic of the summer.  I have to say I feel sorry for Dean Richards.  Reading the case people seem to assume it’s cut and dried that Dean is the bad guy… but I wonder.  He is, according to most people, a top bloke and I am left with the feeling that the reason he is not fighting his corner is he is taking all the heat on himself to save others.

Certainly what he did was wrong and deserves a ban, but this witch hunt that’s after him is, in my opinion, wrong.  If I thought he were the ONLY person to have done this then fair enough.  But who here thinks that?  Bloodbins have long been looking dodgy in my opinion, as well as the old ‘props getting injured’ tricks that are just as bad, if not worse, than Deano’s trick.  Deano is taking the hit for getting caught at something that is more widespread  than most people want to admit.  We need to lose the moral high horse and look at this dispassionately.  Obviously just all my opinion.

No Drug Culture at Bath

Well that statements looking a bit silly.  The next biggest thing to happen in the rugby news, and another scandal for English rugby.  Let’s face it though, and rugby player dumb enough to take drugs when they know they are going to be tested at some point deserves banning for their stupidity alone.

WRU Vs RRW take 7612

How RRW are managing to make themselves look so ridiculous is beyond me.  It seems, from all accounts, that the WRU still owes them money they haven’t paid.  They should be able to get some sympathy.  instead they, yet again, resort to attacking individuals and then, even more ridiculously, attack how the WRU worded their financial statements – statements that had to follow a set lay out and process and were done so correctly (or so I am told by people who understand such things – annual accounting is the reason I use an accountant to work out my stuff).

They hastily withdraw the statement, suggesting to me that someone in their legal department slapped them over the head and told them to run all press releases by them from now on.  But of course head honcho knew nothing about it – obviously no one consults the CEO when releasing press statements attacking the ‘company’ that organizes and pays the regions money.

The WRU are far from blameless, but it takes some effort to make them look courteous and well run.  RRW seem to be managing it though.

Gavin Henson

Will he retire?  Won’t he retire?  Has he clashed with players?  Has he clashed with the coaches?

As ever a huge amount of rumours, most of which the Western Mail report as fact, as ever a lack of real facts.  If he does retire I wouldn’t blame him with the treatment he has been given from the press and certain sections of the fans.

Ryan Jones Still Ospreys Captain

Possibly the best non-story of the year.  I am considering running one about how Gethin Jenkins is still considered a prop.

This all came about because Sean Holley is basically an idiot.  Of course Scott Johnson was going to review things and see who is best for the position.  Of course they wanted to make sure it was not putting too much burden on Ryan.  But why tell the press?  As far as I can see it is all just a HUGE insult to Ryan, who has acted with great decorum considering how he has been slandered by many about his form (I think he’s been a fine 6, just many want him playing his 8 game at 6), his leadership (1 meter short of a triple crown, 9 points short of a grand slam) and more.

Why talk to the press about it at all Sean?  Why not review it, decide and then announce?  To be honest once Holley spoke to the press I think they HAD to make Ryan captain again, any other decision would have been a huge, petty, body blow for one of the Osprey’s best players.

Any more?  Nothing springs to mind really.  We will have to see how Sam Norton-Knight goes, have a look at how the various signings do and whether the Scarlets can actually do anything this year.

Let’s hope that it can be a season without political infighting.  But with a court case coming up that’s not looking overly likely.